Will Hospitals Finally 'Do the Right Thing'? Providing Evidence-Based Tobacco Dependence Treatments to Hospitalized Patients Who Smoke

摘要

In 2008 the US Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, described the chronic disease of tobacco dependence in this way: "Indeed, it is difficult to identify any other condition that presents such a mix of lethality, prevalence, and neglect, despite effective and readily available interventions." In that one sentence, the Guideline highlighted both a common and unfortunate missed opportunity-evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment is not consistently provided to patients visiting health care settings, including patients who are hospitalized.